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In 1926, Alberta discontinued its system of marking highways with different colours in favour of a numbering system.[2] By 1928, the year a gravel road stretched from Edmonton to the United States border, Alberta's provincial highway network comprised 2,310 km (1,440 mi).[2]

Prior to 1973, the expanding highway system comprised one-digit and two-digit highways, with some numbers having letter suffixes (e.g., Highway 1X, Highway 26A).[3] In 1973, a second highway system emerged, using three digits starting in the 500s and referred to as secondary roads, while the existing system continued to be referred to as provincial highways.[4] In 1974, provincial highways became known as primary highways;[5] and in 1990, secondary roads became known as secondary highways.[6]

Secondary highways were abolished in 2000, with most becoming primary highways.[7] The expanded primary highway system was divided into two subsets: former primary highways, which became the 1–216 series;[8] and former secondary highways, which became the 500–986 series.[9] In 2010, all highways became known as provincial highways, while maintaining the two numbered series.[10][11] Despite this, the series are still often referred to as primary and secondary highways, respectively.

Alberta's 1 to 216 series of provincial highways are Alberta's main highways. They are numbered from 1 to 100, with the exception of the ring roads around Calgary and Edmonton, which are numbered 201 and 216 respectively. The numbers applied to these highways are derived from compounding the assigned numbers of the core north-south and east-west highways that intersect with the rings roads. In Calgary, Highway 201 is derived from the north-south Highway 2 and the east-west Highway 1. In Edmonton, Highway 216 is derived from the same north-south Highway 2 and the east-west Highway 16.

Within this series, all or portions of Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 15, 16, 28, 28A, 35, 43, 49, 63, 201 and 216 are designated core routes of Canada's National Highway System (NHS).[12] Highway 28 from Highway 63 to Cold Lake is designated a NHS feeder route and Highway 58 between Rainbow Lake and Highway 88 is designated a NHS northern/remote route.[12]

Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 16, and 43 are considered Alberta's most important interprovincial and international highways and are divided highways (expressways) or freeways for much or all of their length. Speed limits are generally 110 km/h (68 mph) divided highways/freeways and 100 km/h (62 mph) on others. Segments of Highway 1 and Highway 16 through the national parks within Alberta's Rockies that can be 90 km/h (56 mph) or 70 km/h (43 mph).

The Highway 15/28A/28/63 corridor between Edmonton and Fort McMurray is considered one of Alberta's most important intraprovincial highways. It is vital to the oilsands operation.

Although only Highways 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 15, 16, 43, 63, 100, 201, and 216 are twinned (expressways) for most of their length, the vast majority of Alberta's 1 to 216 series of highways are two-laned and paved. Only four highways within the series have segments that remained gravelled. These include segments of Highways 40, 58, and 68 and a short segment near the northern terminus of Highway 63.[13]

Highways 1, 16, 201, and 216 are Trans-Canada Highway routes and are signed with TCH shields, not standard provincial shields.

The roads in the X series are typically highways that are planned realignments or spurs of existing highways. The numbers applied to each highway in the X series are derived from the highway that is planned for realignment or spurred from (e.g. Highway 16X will be a realignment of Highway 16, and Highway 10X is spur from Highway 10).

The roads in the 900 are typically highways that are planned realignments or extensions of existing highways. The numbers applied to each highway in the 900 series are derived from the highway that is planned to be realigned or extended (e.g. Hwy 901 is a potential realignment of Hwy 1 and Hwy 986 is an extension of Hwy 686).

A park access road (PAR) is an access route managed by Alberta Transportation that connects provincial parks to designated provincial highways.[82] The following is a list of all park access roads in Alberta as of March 2017.[13][83]

An urban approach road (UAR) is an access route managed by Alberta Transportation that connects urbanized areas to designated provincial highways.[82] The following is a list of all urban approach roads in Alberta as of March 2017.[13][83]